


Po3 AU Book One - The Power of Three

by Dasharoodledoo



Series: PO3 BBB AU [1]
Category: Warrior Cats - Fandom, Warriors, wc - Fandom
Genre: The Power Of Three, ThunderClan
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-06
Updated: 2019-12-19
Packaged: 2020-02-27 09:56:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18736729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dasharoodledoo/pseuds/Dasharoodledoo
Summary: After moons of peace among the Clans, Blossompaw, Briarpaw, and Bumblepaw are made apprentices of ThunderClan. But after the murder of a beloved Clan leader reveals itself, and strange things begin to happen to them, they realize everything is not what it seems.--------Another Warriors AU cause I hate myself. Basically, "What if Blossom, Briar, and Bumble were the three instead of Dove, Jay, and Lion."





	1. Allegiances

Changes!

Sandstorm is now the deputy of ThunderClan instead of Brambleheart(claw). Leafpool is dead and Foxpaw is the new medicine cat apprentice of ThunderClan. Spiderleg's disappearance will be explained. Dustpelt has passed away. Snowheart(kit) and Rainwhisker are alive. Lilykit and Seedkit were born much earlier, and are about two moons younger than Ivykit and Dovekit. Honeyfern is alive. Cloudtail is a he/him lesbian.

Blackstar's disappearance will also be explained! Russetstar is now leader with Tawnypelt as her deputy. Marshstripe(kit) is alive and not forgotten. Tigerheart is now Goldenpelt after Tawnypelt and a trans molly, Dawnpelt is Dawnclaw after Rowanclaw (Tawny was a bit afraid to name her that because of Tigerclaw, but Blackstar named her it anyway), and Flametail is the same, but he was named after Feathertail! 

Ashstar was chosen be Tallstar to be leader instead of Onewhisker. Tallstar realized that Ashfoot was levelheaded and a good warrior, so he made her leader. Onewhisker is still her deputy. Gorsepaw is alive, named Gorsefire

Mistyfoot is leader earlier than in the books. Feathertail is alive and her deputy. Mothwing is dead. Robinwing is a trans tom cause he's a calico and you know I'm a sucker for trans characters.

Sol has a new backstory!

I'm really excited for this series, it's going to be four books instead of six, and hopefully I won't abandon it like I did with my Sandstar AU ;w; Hope you enjoy!

**Allegiances**

 

**ThunderClan**

 

 **Leader** Firestar - ginger tom with a flame-colored pelt

 **Deputy** Sandstorm - cream tabby she-cat with green eyes

 **Medicine Cat** Foxpaw - reddish brown tabby tom

 

 **Warriors** Graystripe - long-haired gray tom with a stripe down his back

 

Millie - stripes tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes

 

Cloudtail - long-haired white she-cat with blue eyes

Apprentice, Toadpaw

 

Brackenfur - golden brown tabby tom with amber eyes

 

Brightheart - white she-cat with ginger patches

Apprentice, Briarpaw

 

Thornclaw - golden brown tabby tom with green eyes

 

Snowheart - white tom with blue eyes

 

Rainwhisker - dark gray tom with blue eyes

 

Brambleheart - dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

 

Squirrelflight - dark ginger she-cat with green eyes and one white paw

Apprentice, Rosepaw

 

Birchfall - light brownish-gray tabby tom

 

Berrynose - cream-colored tom with a stumpy tail

 

Hazeltail - gray calico she-cat with green eyes

Apprentice, Blossompaw

 

Mousewhisker - gray calico tom with green eyes

Apprentice, Bumblepaw

 

Cinderheart - gray torbie she-cat with lovely blue eyes

 

Honeyfern - beautiful light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes

 

Poppyfrost - tortoiseshell she-cat with yellow eyes

 

Lionblaze - golden tabby tom with amber eyes

 

Jayflight - gray tabby tom with blue eyes

 

Hollyleaf - mostly black tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

 

Icecloud - very pale gray, almost white, she-cat with gray spots

 

 **Apprentices** Rosepaw - a dark cream she-cat with green eyes

 

Toadpaw - a black-and-white tom with yellow eyes

 

Briarpaw - brown she-cat with bright blue eyes

 

Blossompaw - tortoiseshell she-cat with patches that look like petals

 

Bumblepaw - very pale gray tom with black stripes and yellow eyes

 

 **Queens** Ferncloud - pale gray (with darker flecks) tabby she-cat with green eyes (nurse)

 

Daisy - cream, long-furred she-cat from the horseplace (nurse)

 

Whitewing - white she-cat with green eyes _(mother of Birchfall’s kits, Ivykit, a silver-and-white tabby she-cat with blue eyes, and Dovekit, a pale gray she-cat with one green eye and one blue eye)_

 

Sorreltail - calico she-cat with yellow eyes _(mother of Brackenfur’s kits, Lilykit, a calico she-kit with amber eyes, and Seedkit, a golden brown tabby she-kit with yellow eyes)_

 

 **Elders** Longtail - pale tabby tom with dark black stripes

 

Mousefur - small dusky brown she-cat

 

**ShadowClan**

 

 **Leader** Russetstar - dark ginger she-cat with green eyes

 **Deputy** Tawnypelt - dilute tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

Apprentice, Pinepaw

 **Medicine Cat(s)** Littlecloud - very small brown tabby tom

Flametail - ginger tom with a fluffy tail and blue eyes

Apprentice, Foxpaw

 

 **Warriors** Oakfur - small brown tom

Apprentice, Ferretpaw

 

Cedarheart - dark gray tom

 

Rowanclaw - ginger tom with green eyes

 

Smokefoot - black tom

 

Toadfoot - dark brown tom

 

Applefur - mottled brown tabby she-cat

 

Marshstripe - brown tabby tom

 

Crowfrost - black-and-white tom with blue eyes

 

Ratscar - brown tom with lots of scars under his pelt

 

Snowbird - pure-white she-cat

Apprentice, Starlingpaw

 

Olivenose - tortoiseshell she-cat with a pink nose

 

Owlclaw - light brown tabby tom

 

Shrewfoot - gray she-cat with black feet

 

Scorchfur - dark gray tom

 

Redwillow - tortoiseshell tom with pale blue eyes

 

Goldenpelt - golden tabby she-cat with amber eyes

 

Dawnclaw - dilute tortoiseshell she-cat

 

 **Apprentices** Ferretpaw - cream tom with a white nose, paws, and tail

 

Starlingpaw - ginger tom with yellow eyes

 

Pinepaw - black she-cat with green eyes

 

 **Queens** Kinkfur - tabby she-cat with long fur that sticks out everywhere

 

Ivytail - calico she-cat with a spiky tail

 

 **Elders**  Tallpoppy - long-legged light brown tabby she-cat

 

Snaketail - dark brown tom with a tabby-striped tail

 

Whiteripple - white she-cat with long fur and one blind eye

 

**WindClan**

 

 **Leader** Ashstar - gray tabby she-cat with a black foot

 **Deputy** Onewhisker - brown tabby tom with one black whisker

 **Medicine Cat** Kestrelflight -  mottled brownish-gray tom with white splotches like kestrel feathers

 

 **Warriors** Whitetail - small white she-cat

 

Gorsefire - ginger-and-white tabby tom with a scar on his stomach

Apprentice, Whiskerpaw

 

Nightcloud - black she-cat with deep amber eyes

 

Gorsetail - very pale gray-and-white she-cat with blue eyes

 

Owlwhisker - light brown tabby tom

 

Weaselfur - ginger tom with white paws

 

Harespring - brown-and-white tom

 

Heathertail - light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Apprentice, Furzepaw

 

Breezepelt - dark gray tom with amber eyes

Apprentice, Boulderpaw

 

Leaftail - ginger tabby tom with amber eyes

 

Antpelt - brown tom with one black ear

 

Emberfoot - gray tom with two dark paws

 

Sedgewhisker - light brown tabby she-cat

 

Thistleheart - long-haired gray-and-white tabby she-cat

 

Swallowtail - dark gray she-cat

 

Sunstrike - tortoiseshell she-cat with a large mark on her forehead

 

 **Apprentices** Whiskerpaw - light brown tabby tom

 

Furzepaw - gray-and-white she-cat

 

Boulderpaw - large pale gray tabby tom

 

 **Elders** Webfoot - dark gray tabby tom

 

Tornear - tabby tom

 

**RiverClan**

 

 **Leader** Mistystar - gray she-cat with blue eyes

 **Deputy** Feathertail - beautiful silver tabby she-cat with a fluffy tail

 **Medicine Cat(s)**  Willowshine - gray tabby she-cat with green eyes

 

 **Warriors** Reedwhisker - black tom with gray eyes

Apprentice, Hollowpaw

 

Graymist - pale gray tabby she-cat

Apprentice, Rushpaw

 

Beechfur - light brown tom

 

Rippletail - dark gray tabby tom

 

Mintfur - light gray tabby tom

 

Icewing - white she-cat with blue eyes

 

Dapplenose - mottled gray tabby she-cat

Apprentice, Troutpaw

 

Pouncetail - ginger-and-white tom

 

Minnowtail - dark gray she-cat

Apprentice, Mossypaw

 

Pebblefoot - mottled gray tom

 

Sneezecloud - gray-and-white tom

 

Mallownose - light brown tabby tom

 

Beetlewhisker - brown-and-white tabby tom

 

Petalfur - gray-and-white she-cat

 

Grasspelt - light brown tom

 

 **Apprentices** Hollowpaw - dark brown tabby tom

 

Troutpaw - pale gray tabby she-cat

 

Mossypaw - brown-and-white she-cat

 

Rushpaw - light brown tabby tom

 

 **Queens** Duskfur - brown tabby she-cat

 

Robinwing - calico tom with amber eyes _(father of Pebblefoot’s kits)_

 

 **Elders** Blackclaw - smoky black tom

 

Voletooth - small brown tabby tom

 

Dawnflower - pale gray she-cat

 

Mosspelt - tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes

 

**Cats Outside of Clans**

 

Smoky - muscular gray-and-white tom who lives in a barn at the horseplace

 

Floss - small gray-and-white she-cat who lives at the horseplace

 

Sol - a tortoiseshell tom with a lion-like tail and ear tufts

 

**Other Animals**

 

Midnight - a stargazing badger who lives by the sea


	2. Prologue + Chapter One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The prologue was short so I decided to upload it with the first chapter as well. Enjoy <3!

_ It was loud. There were four cats in the den _ . She was cold, ripped away from the warmth of her mother. Flashes passed in her mind, memories the Clans had seen and would see soon. Fire. Water drowning the first star. The scourge of the forest ripping open the tiger. The ancient cat killing the crow. A leaf being split by black claws. The three stars.

 

Then a blossom and a bee wing and a lone briar branch. Unrelenting pain scorching down her spine. She wanted to scream, cry for help, cry for her mother, father, siblings,  _ anyone. _

 

She squirmed when a tongue ran down her back. She couldn’t breathe. There was no longer the warmth of her kin. The tongue was pushing her fur the wrong way, making it feel weird.

 

She choked, then went still. There was a gasp, then a cry.

 

Stars shimmered behind her eyelids. Three stars. She opened her eyes. In front of her, a shimmering cat. Its eyes were bugling, its fur was gone, except for small tufts here and there. It spoke, its low voice sending shivers down her spine. “There will be three,” it rasped. It sounded like it hadn’t spoken in years.

 

“Three,” she whispered back. “There will be three, separated from tiger and fire. They will have the power of the stars in their paws.

 

The cat nodded. It set something down; a stick. Brown, scored with glowing stripes. She leaned over and sniffed at it. It didn’t smell like anything. “What is this?”

 

But the cat was gone. So was the stick. She shuddered as the three stars faded from her sight. She was back in the den. It was quieter now. She struggled. There was one last stroke of a tongue down her back.

 

She took her first breath.

* * *

Briarkit scanned the camp.  Firestar was on the highledge, looking down on his warriors, pride sparkling in his green gaze. She caught his eye and jumped. He smiled at her, before turning back to his Clanmates. Briarkit looked at the clearing, seeing the Clan murmuring to one another about the apprentice ceremony. Briarkit knew how excited every cat had been for new apprentices, seeing as Rosepaw and Toadpaw would be warriors in two or three moons, and they were the only apprentices left.

Briarkit looked at the circle around the center of the clearing. Lionblaze, Hollyleaf, Cinderheart, and Jayflight were all sitting together, Hollyleaf sitting close to Cinderheart, her mate, and Lionblaze looking eagerly at the nursery. Jayflight looked happy when Berrynose joined them, nuzzling his mate and dropping a mouse in front of him.

Daisy was sitting with Brightheart and Cloudtail, her mates. Daisy didn’t look okay. She looked tired and didn’t spend much time in the nursery anymore, but in the warrior den with her mates. Briarkit felt bad for her. Ever since Spiderleg left, she wasn’t the same.

Briarkit blinked and suddenly everything changed. Jayflight was nearly finished with his mouse, Lionblaze was sitting with Mousewhisker, and Firestar’s mouth was moving, but she could hear nothing but the chattering of the Clan. Three kits raced out of the nursery.

Briarkit watched them squeeze past Hazeltail and Icecloud, who were blocking their way to the clearing. They giggled and moved for the kits to get past. Then, one of the kits tripped over something Briarkit couldn’t see and fell face first into the dirt. One of the kits helped them to their paws, and they looked embarrassed. The warriors turned to each other and whispered to one another, covering their mouths with their paws to hide their laughter.

“Briarkit!” Millie called from across the den, breaking Briarkit out of her haze. A headache was beginning to creep up on her. Her mother had finished grooming Blossomkit. “Come here, dear.”

Briarkit glanced at Daisy and the clearing one last time before turning back into the nursery and rushing toward her mother. “Are you excited?” Graystripe asked as her mother began to groom her.

Briarkit blinked at him and nodded. “I’m a little nervous, though,” she meowed, shifting on her paws. “I might mess something up.”

Blossomkit purred and nudged her. “I’m sure you’ll do fine,” she meowed. “I swear you’ve got the best memory in the Clan.”

Now Bumblekit was sitting at the entrance of the nursery, his yellow eyes wide. “I think Firestar is starting the ceremony,” he squeaked. “What if we’re late?” He looked at his mom. “You gotta hurry! Firestar might start without us.”

Graystripe laughed, his eyes twinkling. “Don’t worry, Bumble Bee,” he purred, flicking his ear with his tail. “I don’t think Firestar would start without the kits he’s going to apprentice.”

Briarkit wriggled away from Millie as soon as she finished, shaking out her fur. Millie huffed and turned to her son. Graystripe licked her head. Briarkit looked up at him and smiled, nuzzling his chin. “I’ll miss you three,” her father sighed.

“It’s not like we’re going to RiverClan,” Blossomkit told him. “We’re just moving to the apprentice den.”

“I’ll still miss sleeping with my three kittens,” Graystripe meowed.

“I will too,” Millie sighed, pressing her nose against Bumblekit's head.

Blossomkit turned to Briarkit. “Come here,” she meowed, padding to the entrance of the nursery. Briarkit followed. Nearly the whole Clan was there now, waiting for Firestar to call the three kits forward. “Who do you want to be your mentor?”

Briarkit pointed to Hollyleaf. “I really like Hollyleaf,” she meowed. The black warrior was kind but also fierce and loyal to the warrior code. She would make a fine mentor. “But Brightheart just lost her apprentice, Foxpaw, so I think she might mentor one of us.”

Brightheart had mentored three cats: Snowheart, an older, deaf warrior, Lionblaze, and Foxpaw, who had recently volunteered to be a medicine cat. She was an excellent warrior, any cat would be lucky to be mentored by her.

Blossomkit nodded. “I like Hollyleaf, too,” she meowed. “But I also like Rainwhisker and Cinderheart. They seem like good warriors.” She nodded to the golden warrior beside Hollyleaf. “Bumblekit is close to Lionblaze. I wonder if Firestar noticed and will make him his mentor.”

Briarkit glanced at Lionblaze. He was now with Mousewhisker, smiling at him happily. Briarkit knew they were close, and wondered if they’d announce they were mates soon.

Ivykit spoke up beside Ferncloud and Whitewing. “Why can’t  _ I _ be an apprentice? I’m just as big as Blossomkit!” She looked up at her mother, trying to look angry, but she looked completely unintimidating, her downy kit fur fluffing up.

Ferncloud wrapped her tail around the kit and pulled her close, hugging her. “We’ll miss you too much!” she meowed, licking her head.

“Momma!” Ivykit whined, pushing Ferncloud. “Mom, tell Ferncloud I’m big enough to be an apprentice.”

Whitewing purred at her kit, her green eyes shining. “You're too young, dear,” she told her. “Besides, we still have three moons with you.”

Ivykit groaned. Dovekit, who was snuggled next to Whitewing, her little legs tucked under her chest, spoke up. “I like it in the nursery. It’s warm in here and our mommas and papa are nice to us.”

Ivykit glared at her sister and stuck her tongue out at her playfully. “You’re not helping.”

Blossomkit laughed. “Don’t worry,” she meowed. “Once you two become apprentices we’ll be with you on your tour around the territory.”

Ivykit huffed and flopped over next to Ferncloud.

Firestar’s voice made Briarkit jump. “Blossomkit, Briarkit, and Bumblekit, step forward!”

Blossomkit leapt to her paws, her green eyes sparkling. Bumblekit rushed outside, with his sisters trailing behind him. They squeezed past Hazeltail and Icecloud. Briarkit looked at the stone hollow ground, scanning for anything that she could trip on. Then she saw a dip in the ground in front of Blossomkit. “Watch out,” she whispered to her sister, pointing to the dip.

Blossomkit blinked and stepped over it. “Thanks.”

Briarkit nodded and nudged her with her shoulder. They all sat in front of the highledge, where Firestar stood. He smiled at them. “These kits have all reached the age of six moons,” he started, his eyes shining with pride for the kits, “and it is time for them to become apprentices. From this moment on, until you receive your warrior names, you will be known as Briarpaw, Blossompaw, and Bumblepaw. Mousewhisker, you will mentor Bumblepaw, Hazeltail will mentor Blossompaw, and Brightheart will mentor Briarpaw.” He blinked at the three warriors. “Train them well.”

“We will!” Mousewhisker stood next to Lionblaze, his eyes shining. Hazeltail seemed surprised, and Brightheart stepped forward, her chest puffed out.

Briarpaw stepped toward her mentor. She knew Brightheart’s scars were once much worse, covering half her face, but now she had healed, and her one eye sparkled with happiness. Briarpaw was never bothered by the she-cat’s lack of an eye, and never understood why so many cats flinched when they saw her.  _ Scars are part of being a warrior, _ Millie once told her.  _ Scars show how loyal a cat is to their Clan, telling cats that they’ve sacrificed beauty for their Clanmates. _ Brightheart was really strong and loyal.

Briarpaw had to stretch out her neck to touch noses with Brightheart. She was tall, but Briarpaw was growing fast, according to Graystripe. Maybe one day she’d be Brightheart’s size.

Bumblepaw and Blossompaw also touched noses with their new mentors, shuffling in excitement.

The Clan dispersed, congratulating the apprentices on their new status. Briarpaw saw Millie and Graystripe looking at them from the nursery, proud of their kits.

“Go look at the apprentice den and choose out nests,” Hazeltail told the apprentices. “We’ll go on a quick tour of the territories as soon as you’re ready.”

Blossompaw jumped. “Yes!” she meowed, turning to Briarpaw. “We’re finally going to get out of camp!”

Briarpaw’s paws tingled with excitement. She had longed to go out into the forest for moons now, wondering what it was like. Graystripe had told her that there were so many scents and noises, and she wanted to hear and smell them for herself. She wanted to see mice and voles scuttling across the forest floor, and birds making their nests for their chicks in trees.

Briarpaw and her siblings raced over to the apprentice den. Briarpaw had been there once, but she couldn’t remember why. She knew that it was something scary and important. When they reached the den, Briarpaw saw Toadpaw and Rosepaw inside. She hadn’t seen them during their ceremony; they were probably on patrol with their mentors.

“Hello!” Rosepaw purred, waving her tail. “Sorry we missed your ceremony. Sandstorm sent us out on dawn patrol and we got sidetracked when we got into a skirmish with a WindClan patrol.” She threw an angry glance at her brother.

Toadpaw rolled his eyes. “Furzepaw was being mousebrained,” he growled. “The rabbit was on  _ our territory _ but she-” his voice became high pitched, mocking the WindClan cat- “‘ _ thought  _ I saw you cross the border!’” He snorted. “There’s a  _ river _ in the way, fleabrain.”

Rosepaw laughed and shoved her brother. “Anyway,” she meowed. “We made your nests last night, when we heard your apprentice ceremony was going to be today.” She pointed to three moss nests, all huddled near the center of the den so they could sleep close together like they did in the nursery.

“Thank you,” Briarpaw meowed, sniffing at the nests. There were bits of feather sticking out of them, to make them softer.

“We won’t be sleeping here much longer!” Toadpaw meowed, lifting his head.

“Yes!” Rosepaw raised her paws and examined her claws, smiling smugly. “Squirrelflight says we’re having our warrior assessments soon!”

“Congrats!” Blossompaw meowed.

Briarpaw turned to the cream apprentice to congratulate her as well, but her vision suddenly became hazy and she felt as if she was going to faint. She saw a huge fox, blood darkening is teeth. A warrior was in front of it, with two kits behind them, snarling. Their claws were unsheathed. There was blood trickling down their head and into their eye.

Briarpaw shuddered, shaking herself of the haze. Shivers ran up and down her spine.

“Briarpaw!” Bumblepaw pressed against her. “Are you okay?”

Briarpaw jumped and turned to him. The haze was gone. She took a deep breath. “Yes,” she meowed, her heart thumping in her chest. She still felt as if she was going to faint. “Yes, I’m fine. I just. I’m feeling anxious suddenly is all.”

Blossompaw shared a worried look with her brother. “Do you want to stay in camp instead of going on the tour?” She pressed against her sister. “We won’t be upset, we can take you to Foxpaw.”

“No, don’t worry, I’m fine.” Briarpaw hoped she couldn’t tell her breathing was still erratic and her heart was still pounding.

“Alright,” Blossompaw meowed. “Just speak up if you don’t feel well during the tour.”

“Of course.”

Brightheart’s head poked into the den. “Are you ready?”

“Yup!” Bumblepaw squeaked, racing over to her.

Briarpaw and Blossompaw followed. She looked at Rosepaw then Toadpaw. Toadpaw was staring at his paws, a sad glint in his eyes.  _ What is he thinking about? _ Briarpaw wondered, stopping at the entrance of the den. She could only guess he was thinking about his father, Spiderleg.

Toadpaw and Daisy didn’t take his disappearance well. He was a very confused cat, especially his father died during the battle against Mudclaw, and his former mate, Sootfur, disappeared after the badger attack on ThunderClan.

“Goodbye,” Briarpaw meowed to the apprentice, blinking at him.

Toadpaw brightened and smiled at her. “Bye!” he mewed. “Have fun.”

Briarpaw hoped that one day Spiderleg would return to his Clan, but there was no way she could know for sure.


	3. Chapter Two

Blossompaw lifted her muzzle toward the sky. It was a clear newleaf day. The breeze that ruffled her fur was warm. A perfect day for a territory tour. Brightheart had excused herself to see her grandkits, Ivykit and Dovekit, before they left. Blossompaw was always surprised when she remembered Brightheart was a grandmother; she didn’t seem old enough to have grandkits.

 

Blossompaw glanced at the nursery. Foxpaw was sitting outside with his mother. He looked tired, his fur ruffled. Flametail, who had offered to train Foxpaw until he got his full name, was in the medicine den, sorting through herbs. Blossompaw felt bad for the apprentice. He had volunteered to be the next medicine cat, but he just seemed miserable. He would have become a warrior not long before he chose to be a medicine cat if Leafpool hadn’t joined StarClan.

 

She shivered when she remembered the medicine cat, daughter of Firestar and Sandstorm, who disappeared without a trace one night, not long after Ashfur. Some cats thought Ashfur had killed the she-cat, to get revenge on Squirrelflight, but it wouldn’t make much sense, since he was found dead on the same day she disappeared.

 

Brightheart slipped out of the nursery, saying a quick hello to Ferncloud and Foxpaw before joining her fellow warriors and their apprentices at the entrance. “How are the kits?” Hazeltail asked. “They’re absolutely adorable.”

 

Brightheart purred. “They’re great,” she meowed. “Whitewing says they’re well-behaved and that it seems Ivykit was born ready to be a warrior.” She sighed. “I wish they didn’t have to grow up so fast. Dovekit takes after her mother. She is the cutest thing.”

 

Blossompaw looked at Whitewing and her kits, who were sitting with Ferncloud and Foxpaw now, the kits watching their Clanmates in interest. Dovekit definitely took after Whitewing, with her fluffy fur and tail, but her pelt color reminded Blossompaw of Birchfall more than her mother.

 

They left the camp, padding through the thorn tunnel. Blossompaw trotted faster past Hazeltail. Her eyes widened when she saw the forest, a mess of green and brown, flowers budding here and there. Newleaf was treating the forest well. She saw glimpses of it when she was in camp, but she never realized just how big it was. The trees just kept going. “Does it ever end?”

 

Hazeltail purred and nudged past her out the thorn tunnel. “Yes, it turns to moor eventually,” she meows. “But the forest we do have is gorgeous, isn’t it?”

 

Briarpaw and Bumblepaw gasped when they saw it, too. Some of the trees were still burnt after the fire Ashfur trapped Squirrelflight and her kits in, but others looked alive and well. She took a deep breath. The air smelled earthy and damp. The sweet scent of flowers wafted over her scent glands, too.

 

Bumblepaw stood next to his sister. “Is this what it always smells like?” he asked.

 

“No,” Mousewhisker meowed. “Not in leafbare.”

 

“How does it smell then?” Briarpaw asked.

 

“Cold,” Brightheart sighed.

 

“Luckily it’s been warmer than usual,” Hazeltail spoke up, beginning the trek of the tour.

 

Mousewhisker shook out his fur. “It’s  _ hot _ nowadays. I hope it cools down during greenleaf.”

 

“What is greenleaf like?” Blossompaw asked. She hadn’t been alive during the last hot season.

 

“Prey is plentiful,” Mousewhisker told her. “We eat well throughout greenleaf, as long as it doesn’t rain too hard.”

 

Greenleaf sounded nice. Blossompaw couldn’t wait until then. Prey seemed plentiful now, but Millie used to talk about how horrible last leafbare was, when prey was scarce and leafbare plagued the Clans, nearly killing Briarpaw and their mother. She hoped she wouldn’t have to live through a cold leafbare like that.

 

“Where do you want to go first?” Hazeltail asked, halting in front of the apprentices.

 

“I want to see the WindClan border,” Bumblepaw squeaked. “I’ve always heard about the moor, I want to see what it’s like.”

 

“I wanted to see the lake,” Blossompaw meowed, looking at Hazeltail and Brightheart. “Can’t we see the lake first? Wouldn’t that be quicker?”

 

“I think we could see the WindClan border, then go down to the lake and loop around to the ShadowClan border,” Hazeltail meowed. “We’ll see the lake soon enough, Blossom.”

 

Blossompaw felt frustration ripple through her pelt. She turned to Brightheart. “Can’t we go to the lake first?”

 

“I agree with Hazeltail,” Brightheart told her. “We’ll be at the lake in no time.”

 

Blossompaw lashed her tail while her siblings and their mentors started to make their way deeper into the forest, avoid the edge of the steep cliff that led into the hollow. She grumbled, but didn’t argue anymore.

 

Blossompaw enjoyed listening to the bird song and seeing little bugs crawling along the ground on the way. She took her time, stalking the bugs and jumping on leaves, until Hazeltail finally told her to catch up. They reached the border, a river that ran down toward the lake. Blossompaw gasped when she saw the moor. There were no trees, only bushes and bunches of heather dotted here and there. “Wow,” she murmured.

 

“I never imagined the moor would look like that,” Bumblepaw mewed, blinking. “It’s so barren. How do they live without the trees?”

 

Mousewhisker laughed. “I have no idea,” he meowed. “WindClan cats like boasting that they are the closest to StarClan, and they enjoy having an open sky overhead, I guess.”

 

A warm breeze rushed over the moor and ruffled Blossompaw’s fur. “I like it,” Briarpaw meowed. “I love the forest, but it’d be nice to see the sky without trees breaking up the sunlight.”

 

Hazeltail nodded.

 

“What’s up the river?” Blossompaw asked. She couldn’t see too far, but she noticed it turned into a rocky path.

 

“That’s the moonpool,” Brightheart explained, stepping up next to the apprentice. “That’s where the medicine cats go during the half-moon, and where leaders get their nine lives.”

 

“Foxpaw will be getting his name soon, won’t he?” Briarpaw spoke up, looking up at the slope. Her eyes were hazy and dull. Blossompaw hoped she was still doing okay after nearly fainting in the apprentices’ den.

 

“Hopefully,” Hazeltail sighed. “Poor thing’s been spread so thin. I’m hoping Flametail will give him his name soon and stay in the Clan a bit longer, until he’s fully adjusted to medicine cat life.”

 

Blossompaw longed to follow the rocky trail up to the moonpool to see the beauty of the pool. But her Clanmates continued on, following the river down to the lake. Casting one last glance at the trail, Blossompaw followed.

 

She could see glimpses of the lake between the trees. Paws itching, she raced in front of the mentors and her siblings. “Blossompaw!” Hazeltail called, but she disappeared between the trees behind the tortoiseshell.

 

She broke through the bushes that bordered the beach and the forest and gasped. In front of her stretched the vast lake, so far she could barely see the other side. The waves crashed against the pebbly shore, sparkles rippling in the sunlight. Hazeltail caught up with her, and opened her jaws to scold the apprentice, but Blossompaw cut her off: “It’s beautiful,” she murmured.

 

Hazeltail rolled her eyes and sat next to her, sighing. “It is,” she meowed. She took a deep breath and wrapped her tail around her paws. She scanned the opposite shore, then her eyes locked on something. “Do you know where I was born?”

 

Blossompaw blinked at the calico warrior. She always forgot that Hazeltail wasn’t Clanborn. “I know it was in a place called the horseplace,” she meowed, “but I don’t know where it is.”

 

“You probably can’t see it from here but-” Hazeltail pointed across the lake, where Blossompaw could see the very slight outline of a barn, “-that’s where momma gave birth to me.” She leaned over to Blossompaw. “Can you keep a secret?” Blossompaw nodded. “I still visit my papa, Smoky, there sometimes. It’s nice to see the barn every now and then.”

 

Surprised, Blossompaw opened her jaws to say something, only to be cut off by Brightheart, Mousewhisker, Bumblepaw, and Briarpaw.  _ Is she allowed to do that? _ “Blossompaw, you shouldn’t run off like that!” Brightheart scolded, looking cross. “We may not have seen any foxes or badgers recently, but they’re still a threat in the forest, and one could easily gobble you up like a mouse.”

 

“I’m sorry,” Blossompaw meowed. “I just wanted to see the lake so much. It really is beautiful.”

 

Brightheart gave Hazeltail an exasperated glance, then sighed and nudged Blossompaw with her shoulder. “Don’t do it again, mousebrain,” she huffed, flicking the tortoiseshell’s ear with her tail. “Graystripe would kill Hazeltail if something happened to you.”

 

“Is RiverClan on the other side?” Blossompaw asked, straining her eyes to see the other shore. It was foggy, but she could see the lake crashing up onto the shore. There were less trees than there were in ThunderClan, but she couldn’t exactly call RiverClan territory a moor.

 

“Yes,” Mousewhisker replied. “I can’t imagine living in such a wet place. I can barely stand when it rains.”

 

“I wonder how Mistystar is.” Brightheart was staring across the lake. “She’s been the RiverClan leader for quite some time, but she didn’t take Leopardstar’s death well, along with the rest of RiverClan.”

 

Blossompaw remembered hearing about the spotted RiverClan leader. She always wanted to meet her. She heard she was huge, like her namesake, and she was wise and cunning. Blossompaw wondered what Mistystar was like. She heard a few stories about the new RiverClan leader, half-ThunderClan half-RiverClan, daughter of Bluestar and Oakheart. She wondered if she looked more like a RiverClan or ThunderClan cat.

 

“Would you like to move on?” Hazeltail pressed against Blossompaw and her apprentice nodded. They padded along the shore of the lake. Blossompaw kept casting glances at the lake, wishing she could stay there for a bit longer. But they peeled away, back into the forest. “Where to next?” Blossompaw asked.

 

“ShadowClan border,” Hazeltail answered.

 

“Can we hunt when we get there?” Bumblepaw asked. “I’m starving.”

 

“You ate before we left!” Briarpaw laughed, shoving her brother.

 

“We’ve been out for a while!” Bumblepaw defended himself, sticking his tongue out at Briarpaw. “Plus we’ve been walking all day.”

 

Brightheart purred. “You’re definitely Graystripe’s son,” she meowed. “Yes, we can hunt. Let’s get to the border first, though.”

 

The group stayed quiet for the rest of the way. Blossompaw looked up at the trees, seeing birds flitting back and forth between branches. They were chirping to one another. Blossompaw wished she could climb up and catch one, but the thought of climbing the tree so high made her feel sick. Briarpaw stopped in front of her, flicking her tail. “Are you okay?” Blossompaw asked.

 

Briarpaw didn’t answer at first. Her eyes were thin as she stared up at the trees. Blossompaw pressed against her. “Briarpaw,” she hissed in her ear.

 

The brown she-cat jumped and turned to Blossompaw. She shook out her fur and sighed. “Yes,” she meowed, shaking out her fur. “I’m fine, don’t worry about me.”

 

Blossompaw nuzzled her sister’s cheek with her nose. “Are you sure?” she asked. “You’ve been a little dazed since we left. Do you want to head back to camp?”

 

Briarpaw looked into her sister’s eyes for a moment. Blue slowly became less milky and hazy. She shook her head. “I’m okay, I’ll rest when we start hunting.”

 

“Okay,” Blossompaw meowed, reluctant to let her sister continue. “Stay close to me, though.” Briarpaw nodded, brushing past her sister.

 

The smell of pine needles and sap touched Blossompaw’s nose as they neared the border. She opened her jaws to drink in the scent. The sap smelled nice, but then a horrid stench overtook it and she wrinkled her nose. “What is  _ that _ ?” Bumblepaw squeaked, screwing up his eyes.

 

“That would be ShadowClan.” Mousewhisker laughed, flicking his tail over Bumblepaw’s muzzle. “They’ve always smelled. But you get used to it when you’re around them too much like at Gatherings.”

 

Blossompaw sniffed, sticking out her tongue. “How do they live like that?” she grumbled, wishing she could make the smell leave her nose.

 

“They probably think they don’t smell at all,” Hazeltail pointed out.

 

They continued up the border, until they reached a clearing. “What’s that?” Bumblepaw mewed.

 

“That’s the strip of territory Firestar gave up to ShadowClan,” Mousewhisker sniffed. “Which I still think was a stupid idea.”

 

“Why?” Bumblepaw stepped up next to his mentor, tasting the air. “Is it a good place to hunt or something?”

 

“No,” Hazeltail meowed, sending a glare to her brother. “It’s useless. ShadowClan probably just warms themselves there. Firestar was right to give it up without fighting over it.”

 

Mousewhisker’s tail flicked, obviously upset. “Do you think Firestar will try to get it back one day?” Briarpaw asked, looking up at Hazeltail.

 

“Maybe,” the calico she-cat meowed. “I think it would be mousebrained, but Firestar can do what he wants.” She shook her head. “I just hope we don’t have to fight over it.”

 

Brightheart was looking around ThunderClan’s side of the forest, tasting the air. “There’s some prey around here,” she meowed. “Why don’t we stop to hunt real fast? Then we can head home.”

 

Blossompaw jumped in excitement. “Yes!” she squeaked. “I want to learn to hunt.”

 

Hazeltail laughed and nodded. “We’ll show you the hunting crouch then.” The calico she-cat stepped in front of the three apprentices and crouched down. Blossompaw had seen this before, when Rosepaw and Toadpaw began their training. Rosepaw tried to show the kits the proper way to do the crouch, but they only bounced around her and her brother, complaining that they wanted to catch something already.

 

“Do you know what to do when you’re hunting prey like mice?” Hazeltail asked, looking at the apprentices.

 

Bumblepaw opened his jaws to answer, but Briarpaw beat him to it: “Keep your weight on your haunches, right?” she meowed.

 

Bumblepaw flicked his tail. “I was gonna say that.”

 

Mousewhisker purred. “Well, you were both right,” he meowed. “You want to get as close to your prey as possible and bite its neck to kill it.”

 

Blossompaw nodded and crouched down, copying what Hazeltail showed them. It felt weird, but eventually she got used to the strange position. Bumblepaw and Briarpaw followed, crouching beside their sister. “This is uncomfortable,” Bumblepaw mumbled.

 

“Excellent job, Blossompaw,” Hazeltail approved. “And you, Briarpaw.”

 

Blossompaw glanced at Bumblepaw, who was wobbling. Mousewhisker pressed against his apprentice. “A bit lower,” he instructed, putting his paw on the gray tom’s back. “And move your paws out a bit more.” Bumblepaw nodded and fixed himself, lowering himself to the earth once more.

 

“Good,” Brightheart meowed once they were finished, “now, who wants to go first?”

 

“Me!” Blossompaw mewed, jumping up from her crouch. “Can I go first, Hazeltail? Pleeease?”

 

Hazeltail laughed. “Yes, you can go first,” she chirped. “Go ahead, show me what you can do.”

 

Bubbling with excitement, Blossompaw tasted the air. Her ears pricked for any scuttling on the forest floor, or the sound of a bird chirping or flapping its wings. The smell of mouse wafted over her scent glands and she located it further up the territory. She crouched down and stalked forward, brushing past a bush when she saw it, nibbling on a seed on a tree root. Lowering herself closer to the ground, she continued on, careful not to step on any twigs or let her belly fur brush against the earth. The mouse had its back turned, and the wind was blowing toward the hunter.  _ Perfect. _

 

Once she got close enough, Blossompaw got ready to pounce. Wiggling on her back legs, she leaped forward and caught it underneath her front paw. It wriggled under her paw. “What do I do now?” Blossompaw panicked, not liking the feeling of it squirming underneath her.

 

“Bite its neck!” Hazeltail called.

 

Blossompaw leaned forward to follow her mentor’s instructions, but before she could nip it, it squirmed out from underneath her paw and scuttled into a hole under the root of the tree. “Mouse-dung!” Blossompaw growled, her tail flicking in anger.

 

“You did great for your first hunt,” Hazeltail assured her, padding over to her apprentice. “I wasn’t even able to find a mouse my first time, let alone grab one beneath my paw.” She smiled at her apprentice. “You’ll be an excellent warrior one day, don’t worry.”

 

“Can I go next?” Bumblepaw turned to his mentor. “I think I heard a bird, a bit further back from where we came.”

 

“Of course,” Mousewhisker meowed. “Birds are a bit more difficult than mice, but it’s pretty much the same if they’re on the ground. “Try to keep it on the ground by disabling its wings. Then bite its neck, just like any other prey.”

 

Bumblepaw nodded and they returned to the place where they started. He tasted the air and located the bird, then crouched down. Blossompaw could smell the bird too, not far away from them, over a few bramble bushes. He slunk toward the prey, light on his paws. Mousewhisker followed him, careful not to make a sound. Blossompaw caught the red of the bird’s chest; a robin. It had a worm in its beak.

 

Bumblepaw leapt too early, crashing clumsily on top of the robin. It squawked and flapped its wings in an attempt to get away. Bumblepaw growled and kept one paw on its wing, pulling a few feathers out in the process. The robin pecked a few times at his paws and he yelped, pulling away. Flapping away awkwardly, the bird got out of his grasp. Growling, Bumblepaw gave chase.

 

“Wait!” Mousewhisker yowled, running after his apprentice.

 

Bumblepaw either didn’t hear or didn’t listen. He stumbled a few times before leaping up and grabbing the robin between his paws, dragging it to the ground. He rolled past the bramble bushes and flopped to the ground, killing the bird with one bite.

 

“Bumblepaw!” Mousewhisker hissed. “Get back here!”

 

The strong scent of ShadowClan made Blossompaw’s nostrils flare. Bumblepaw had crossed the border. Her heart leaped when two green eyes glowed from the shadows.

 

“What are you doing on my territory?”


	4. Chapter Three

_ Bumblepaw skidded to a halt, the _ robin still in his jaws. He shuddered when he looked up and locked eyes with a large, dark ginger she-cat. Her green eyes were cold. Two other cats, a golden and brown tabby tortoiseshell, and a small, light brown stood beside her. Bumblepaw recognized them all from nursery tales.  _ Russetfur, Tawnypelt, and Littlecloud. _ Swallowing, he backed away from them. Russetfur was the deputy of ShadowClan.

 

Tawnypelt he knew. He remembered when she joined ThunderClan with Flametail, Goldenpelt, and Dawnclaw. Bumblepaw didn’t get to talk to them much, but now that Flametail was back in ThunderClan to train Foxpaw, he knew the ginger tom much better.

 

“What are you doing here?” Tawnypelt asked, her tail flicking.

 

Bumblepaw shivered as hot and cold fury mingled inside him. Fire and ice flashed over his body and he backed up more to get away form the strange feeling. Behind his eye, red and blue mixed together.

 

Mousewhisker stepped forward. “We’re sorry, Russetfur,” he meowed, panting. “Bumblepaw is a new apprentice, he never meant to cross the border.” He shot his apprentice a glance and Bumblepaw shifted as his mentor’s disappointment washed over him.

 

Bumblepaw backed away from his mentor and stood next to Briarpaw, shame washing over him. He dropped the robin. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled.

 

“We don’t need your prey,” Russetfur muttered, turning her glare to the warriors. “We’re on our way to the Moonpool. Tawnypelt is escorting us to the border.” Tawnypelt looked on edge. In fact, all of them.  _ Are they scared of us? _ That made Bumblepaw feel powerful, though he was sure it wasn’t true. “Blackstar passed on to StarClan.” The three cats lowered their heads.

 

The ThunderClan cats exchanged glances. Bumblepaw hadn’t met Blackstar, but he heard tales of the bold leader of ShadowClan, who turned his back on StarClan in favor of Sol. “I’m sorry for your loss,” Brightheart mewed, dipping her head to the older warrior. “May he find good hunting and rest well in StarClan.”

 

“We can escort you to the WindClan border if you’d like,” Hazeltail spoke up beside Mousewhisker.

 

Russetfur shook her head. “We’ll stay three foxlengths within the lakeshore,” she meowed, “just like the rules state.” She nodded to Tawnypelt and the tortoiseshell nodded to the ThunderClan warriors before she turned back and disappeared. Russetfur and Littlecloud turned and made their way down the border. Bumblepaw watched them disappear through the thick foliage of the forest.

 

“We can finish the tour tomorrow,” Brightheart meowed. Blossompaw was upset, but Bumblepaw was glad to head home. He was so hungry and the smell wafting from his fresh-kill was making his stomach growl.

 

They made their way through the forest, and Bumblepaw’s paws began to ache. He didn’t want to complain, but half of him wished he could dig into his robin right now. He tried to imagine the look on Millie and Graystripe’s face when they saw his catch and he picked up the pace, excited to show his parents and Toadpaw and Rosepaw.”

 

He nearly bumped into Briarpaw when she stopped “What is it?” he hissed, fear pulsing through him as he tasted the air. 

 

Briarpaw crouched down and turned toward the bushes across from them. She opened her jaws as she stalked forward. Bumblepaw stayed silent as she padded toward the bushes. Then, she leapt in, the bushes rustling when a gray creature scuttled out. Scrambling out behind it, Briarpaw rushed toward her prey. The creature, a vole, veered away from the Clan cats. But Briarpaw was quick to twist toward it, her back paws slipping as she smacked it with her paw, dazing it for long enough for her to kill it.

 

Bumblepaw blinked in surprise as she held up her kill, blue eyes sparkling in excitement. “Great catch, Briar!” Brightheart purred, bounding over to her apprentice and sniffing at the vole. “Your form was excellent for a beginner.”

 

Briarpaw lowered her head in embarrassment. “Thank you,” she mumbled around the prey.

 

Bumblepaw turned to Blossompaw when he felt jealousy radiating from her. He blinked as green washed over his vision, only to wash away into blue and a sudden, bright red that burned his eyes.

 

“Alright,” Mousewhisker meowed. “Let’s get back to camp.” Bumblepaw shook his head and all the bright colors left his vision, leaving the usual dim colors of the forest. They continued on, passing the mossy hollow, where Bumblepaw spotted Hollyleaf, Brambleheart, and Honeyfern on patrol. Hollyleaf had a plump pigeon and a squirrel in her jaws, Brambleheart had two mice and a shrew, and Honeyfern had one fat squirrel. They seemed to be heading back to camp as well.

 

“Nice catches!” Brightheart called to them. Hollyleaf blinked and turned to them, flicking her tail to Brambleheart and Honeyfern, signaling for them to join the small patrol. “Where did you hunt?”

 

“Around the dead oak,” Hollyleaf told her, using the same pawspeak Snowheart used. Bumblepaw knew some cats used it during a battle or hunt, but he’d never seen it used in this situation. “There’s plenty of prey around that area this time of year.”

 

Brightheart nodded and they continued their conversation about prey while Hazeltail and Honeyfern nuzzled each other and Briarpaw proudly showed off her catch to Brambleheart. Blossompaw was still envious of her siblings, scuffling her paws in the dirt and pretending to not pay attention to her Clanmates. Bumblepaw huffed.  _ We caught prey and you didn’t, it’s not a big deal. _ He brushed past his sister and followed Mousewhisker.

 

Finally, they reached the stone hollow. Brambleheart and Brightheart entered first, closely followed by Hollyleaf, Honeyfern, and Hazeltail. Then, Mousewhisker and the apprentices pushed through the thorn tunnel. On the other side, Millie, Graystripe, and Firestar were waiting. Bumblepaw brightened and nuzzled his parents, dipping his head to the leader. Firestar was like a second father to the apprentices, visiting his best friend’s kits in the nursery whenever he got the chance, but Bumblepaw still felt the need to act formal to him.  _ He’s still the leader. _

 

“How was your first day out of camp?” Millie asked, licking her son’s forehead before turning and nuzzling Briarpaw and Blossompaw.

 

“It was great,” Blossompaw meowed, though she didn’t sound very enthusiastic. “The lake is really nice.”

 

“We got to see WindClan and ShadowClan,” Bumblepaw meowed, shifting on his haunches in excitement.

 

“And I see you caught your first prey,” Graystripe meowed, his eyes shining. Blossompaw’s tail flicked as their father sniffed at Bumblepaw’s robin and Briarpaw’s vole. “Don’t worry, Blossompaw.” He blinked at his daughter and his sympathy toward her washed over Bumblepaw. “It took me a while to get the hang of hunting.”

 

Firestar laughed and pressed against his fluffy friend. “I did too,” he told her and she blinked. Embarrassed, Firestar licked his chest. “I seem to remember slipping on wet leaves and falling into a patch of stinging nettles the first time I tried to catch a mouse.”

 

Blossompaw’s jealousy eased as she laughed, covering her mouth. “At least that didn’t happen to me,” she meowed, shuffling. “I’ll get the hang of it soon, though.”

 

Firestar blinked at her. “I’m sure you will,” he meowed. His eyes narrowed for a moment, as if he was thinking about something, before he shook his head. “You three are very talented cats. I’m looking forward to seeing you grow into fine warriors. You can give your prey to Whitewing and Sorreltail.” He licked Graystripe’s cheek before turning and joining Sandstorm and Squirrelflight beside the fresh-kill pile.

 

Part of Bumblepaw was disappointed, but he followed Firestar’s orders, heading toward the nursery. He noticed Toadpaw and Rosepaw practicing battle moves beside the Halfrock, where Mousefur and Purdy watched and Longtail groomed Mousefur, all stretched out on the warm rocks.

 

He entered the nursery with Briarpaw behind him. “Hello,” Whitewing purred, keeping her voice quiet. Bumblepaw noticed Ivykit and Dovekit curled up at her belly, piled on top of each other. Bumblepaw smiled at them, knowing he’d miss the days when they could all be together.  _ They’ll be apprentices before we know it, _ he told himself. Seedkit and Lilykit were also asleep beside their mother while Sorreltail groomed herself, careful not to wake them. Brackenfur was asleep the calico.

 

“Visitors?” Sorreltail meowed, looking up, her pink tongue still sticking out a bit. She blinked when she saw the prey. “Did you catch that?”

 

“We did,” Briarpaw meowed, dropping the vole. “Our first catches.” Bumblepaw put down his prey next to hers.

 

Sorreltail smiled. “Well done,” she meowed. “We can share the shrew, why don’t you two take the robin?” Whitewing nodded.

 

“Thank you,” Bumblepaw meowed, picking his robin back up. “Enjoy.”

 

As they left the den, they nearly ran into Ferncloud. Her green eyes sparkled when she saw the robin. “I heard you caught a robin,” she purred. “Good job, Bumblepaw. And you, Briarpaw.” She began to slip back into the nursery. “Come visit us later. We’d be happy to share a meal with you three again.”

 

Bumblepaw nodded to her. He padded over to Rosepaw and Toadpaw. “You two look like you need a break.”

 

Briarpaw peeled away from him to join Millie and Blossompaw, who were sharing a rabbit.

 

“We could use one,” Rosepaw panted, getting to her paws and shaking dirt out of her fur. “Is this your robin?”

 

“It is, but I’m willing to share.” The gray tabby sat down heavily beside Toadpaw, whose happiness warmed him more than the newleaf sun ever could. He began plucking it of its feathers.

 

“Thanks, but I promised mom I’d eat with her today,” Rosepaw explained. Bumblepaw nodded in understanding. Daisy seemed to need some good family time with her kittens. “Toadpaw, why don’t you join us?”

 

Toadpaw’s happy warmth quickly sank away to cold sadness. “No, that’s okay,” he mumbled. “You two have fun. I’ll share with Bumblepaw.”

 

Rosepaw stared at him for a moment, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly, but then she clicked her tongue and flicked her tail, leaving the two alone. Bumblepaw wanted to ask Toadpaw why he wouldn’t join them, but decided against it.  _ He seems so upset already, _ he thought, hating the unhappy look on his friend’s face.

 

“How’s training going?” he asked instead, pushing the robin toward him to take the first bite.

 

Toadpaw’s smile returned, but not his warmth. “It’s going well,” he meowed, sinking his teeth into the robin and tugging away a big piece of it. “Cloudtail and Squirrelflight say we’re doing well, and that they’re still working on our assessments.” He swallowed the bit of meat and Bumblepaw leaned in to take a bite. “They say we should be ready in a moon or so.”

 

Bumblepaw nodded and nudged the apprentice. “I can’t believe you two are going to be warriors soon,” he meowed. “It’s crazy, isn’t it? I remember when you two were kits in the nursery. It’s weird to think that was so long ago.”

 

“Only four or five moons,” Toadpaw told him, laying his tail on Bumblepaw’s own. A feeling Bumblepaw couldn’t quite describe was fizzing through the black-and-white tom’s pelt. “But yeah, it’s pretty crazy.”

 

Bumblepaw smiled at him and took another bite of robin. He scanned the camp. Foxpaw and Flametail were sitting outside the medicine den, warming themselves and talking to one another, probably about herbs. Jayflight, Lionblaze, Hollyleaf, and Cinderheart sat beside the warrior’s den while Berrynose and Mousewhisker nosed through the fresh-kill pile. Hollyleaf meowed something Bumblepaw couldn’t quite hear and Cinderheart snorted, shoving her mate and laughing. Poppyfrost, Honeyfern, and Hazeltail were all close together, gossiping while Thornclaw watched his nieces from afar, Rainwhisker and Snowheart stretched out next to him.

 

Bumblepaw’s ears flicked when he heard something, like a whisper in his ear. “Hm?” he turned to Toadpaw. “What did you say?”

 

But Toadpaw didn’t know what he was talking about when he said he heard something. He pricked his ears, and suddenly noticed Brightheart and Cloudtail not that far away from them, beside the Halfrock, out of earshot. But, somehow, he could hear Brightheart’s voice as if she was right next to him.

 

“I wonder what happened to Blackstar,” she meowed. She blinked her eye a few times before taking a bite of her mouse. “Russetfur seemed on edge when she was at the border. All of them did, actually.” Bumblepaw didn’t know what she was talking about at first, then he remembered the fear radiating from the patrol. She flicked her ginger tail once, twice. Then she shook her head and turned back to Cloudtail. “I’m sure she’ll say at the Gathering. I shouldn’t dwell on it.”

 

Bumblepaw stared at her, his eyes wide.  _ What just happened? _ He jumped when Toadpaw shoved him. “Hey are you listening?” Bumblepaw turned to the tom, their yellow eyes meeting.

 

“Sorry, I spaced out,” he murmured. “Go on.”

 

“As I was saying,” Toadpaw went on, moving closer to Bumblepaw. “I was on my way to the Windclan border when this huge rabbit jumped out of the bushes . . .”

 

Bumblepaw eventually spaced back out, staring at his paws, thinking about Brightheart’s voice, but not what she was saying.  _ How did I hear her, when she wasn’t even moving her mouth? _


	5. Chapter Four

_ Four sunrises had passed since _ the day Blossompaw and her siblings became apprentices. Blossompaw had caught a crow the day before, her first catch, and Millie and Graystripe were ecstatic. Still, Blossompaw caught Flametail’s eye, who was staring with a narrow glare. She was unnerved before Foxpaw joined his mentor once again and they left the camp to collect herbs. She told herself not to dwell on it, but she still shuddered when she thought of the flame colored tom’s cold eyes.

 

Now, she was on a patrol with Hazeltail, Squirrelflight, and Rosepaw. Toadpaw, Bumblepaw, and Briarpaw were sent out on a border patrol on the ShadowClan border, and Hazeltail thought it would be nice to hunt near the WindClan border. “There are rose bushes near there, where rabbits usually like to burrow,” Hazeltail had said to Squirrelflight. Blossompaw had never hunted rabbits, her mentor thought it was a good idea to try it.

 

But they had stopped when Rosepaw realized she had promised Purdy she’d collect moss and bracken for his bedding. She was now clawing at the trees for moss, putting aside one big clump. “We can hunt there tomorrow,” Squirrelflight decided. “It looks like it’s going to rain soon.”

 

Blossompaw tasted the air. Some rain would be good, what with the heat. Blossompaw had heard Mousefur and Longtail talking about a drought, and it scared her.  _ Would that mean less prey? How would we get water? _

 

“Can we collect feathers while we’re out?” Blossompaw asked. “I want the elders to have soft nests so they can sleep well.” Mousefur had been complaining about here joints aching, and Blossompaw hoped making her nest softer would help a bit.

 

“Later,” Squirrelflight meowed. “Maybe we should get back to camp. I don’t want it to rain on us.”

 

“We still have a while longer before it starts,” Hazeltail chirped, “I was thinking I could finally start teaching Blossompaw some battle moves. We haven't gotten that far in her training yet.”

 

Excitement erupted inside Blossompaw and she glanced at Squirrelflight with wide eyes. “Can we, Squirrelflight? Please?”

 

“I suppose,” Squirrelflight meowed. She purred when she caught Blossompaw’s face. “Put your kitten face away, we can train if you want to.”

 

Blossompaw sent Rosepaw an excited glance, and the dark cream apprentice smiled at her as she got to her paws and stretched. “We can pick up the moss on the way back,” she meowed, patting it with her paw. “Then we can find some bracken.”   
  


The apprentices followed their mentors toward a clearing near WindClan’s borders. It was a small glade, near the ancient oak. A few flowers were growing around, reaching toward the sun, which was beginning to be covered by clouds. Squirrelflight tasted the air before settling down. “This should be a good spot,” she meowed, turning to Hazeltail. Blossompaw sat next to Rosepaw while the two mentors murmured to one another.

 

Rosepaw lay down, batting at a clump of grass and examining her claws. Blossompaw lay beside her, staring at a downy feather that floated down from one of the three trees near her. She glanced around, then noticed a nest, where tiny chirps could be heard. Blossompaw smiled and lay her head on her paws, wishing she could see the chicks.

 

“Okay,” Hazeltail meowed. The apprentices sat up when their mentors finished talking. “Blossompaw, Rosepaw is going to run toward you and you’re going to try to dodge and pin her down. You win if you pin your opponent to the ground. Then we’ll switch.”

 

“But that’s boring,” Rosepaw meowed, sticking her tongue out.

 

Squirrelflight stuck her tongue out back at her apprentice, her eyes sparkling. “Blossompaw is younger and more experienced than you,” she reminded the apprentice “We can get into more advanced moves when Blossompaw has trained more.”

 

Sighing, Rosepaw padded to the other side of the clearing, crouching down. Blossompaw stayed where she was, looking at Hazeltail. Excitement and anxiety pulsed through her as she waited for Squirrelflight to signal Rosepaw to start.

 

Then, with a flick of Squirrelflight’s tail, Rosepaw was racing toward the tortoiseshell apprentice. Time seemed to slow down and Blossompaw when Rosepaw leapt toward her, only to disappear as soon as she came in contact with her. Confused, Blossompaw blinked, shaking her head.

 

She grunted when Rosepaw crashed into her, rolling them both into the grass. Confused, Blossompaw stared into Rosepaw’s green eyes.  _ What was that? _ Rosepaw turned to Squirrelflight and Hazeltail. “How was that?”

 

“You didn’t even try, Blossompaw,” Hazeltail meowed as Rosepaw got off of her. “This time try to dodge her, okay?” Hazeltail’s eyes were round with worry as she approached her.

 

_ I know what to do, _ Blossompaw wanted to snap at her, but she kept the growl to herself. “I got distracted,” she huffed, shaking herself when she got back up. “Let me try again.”

 

Hazeltail backed away and exchanged a glance with Squirrelflight. Squirrelflight nodded and signaled for Rosepaw to return to her spot. “Go!”

 

Rosepaw raced forward once more, and this time nothing out of the ordinary happened. Blossompaw easily dodged her and struck out, catching Rosepaw’s back leg with her paw and making her stumble. Blossompaw saw Rosepaw’s next attack before she even moved. She dodged as Rosepaw swiped her paw toward her face and leaped onto her. She thought she had Rosepaw, but the cream apprentice put her paws on her stomach, shoving her off.

 

She tumbled awkwardly to the ground and got pinned by Rosepaw before she could get back up. Frustration built up inside Blossompaw when Rosepaw gave her a smug. “One more time,” she growled as Rosepaw got off her. “I wanna try one last time.”

 

“Alright.” Once again, Rosepaw got into position. Hazeltail waited for Blossompaw to get ready before giving her signal. Rosepaw rushed forward and Blossompaw dodged to the side, whacking her over the head to daze her. Rosepaw shook her head, stumbling back.

 

Blossompaw took the chance to leap on top of Rosepaw, nearly able to get her down. She felt Rosepaw swiping her back legs away before Rosepaw even moved. Confused, Blossompaw leapt back before the apprentice could trip her.

 

Rosepaw’s eyes widened, but she recovered quickly, swiping at Blossompaw. Backing away, the tortoiseshell apprentice gasped when she tripped on a tree root. Stumbling back, Rosepaw was able to push her down. The cream apprentice stood over her, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

 

“Mousedung! That’s not fair!” Blossompaw hissed, anger burning in her chest. “I tripped!”

 

“A ShadowClan warrior wouldn’t go easy on you just because you tripped,” Rosepaw told her, tapping her nose with her paw. She glanced at Squirrelflight. “Are we done? Can we do something else?”

 

Growling, Blossompaw unsheathed her claws, grabbed Rosepaw, and tried to leap up and pin her down, only for her head to collide with Rosepaw’s chin. Rosepaw yelped, stumbling off the younger apprentice. Blossompaw pressed her paw against her forehead, groaning.

 

“What was that for?” Rosepaw groaned, glaring at Blossompaw.

 

Blossompaw didn’t hear her. She got to her paws and stumbled, dazed from the sharp pain throbbing in her head. She pounced toward Rosepaw and tried to force her to the ground. She dug her claws into her, making her yowl. “Get off of me!” Rosepaw hissed, lashing out one paw and striking it against Blossompaw’s head.

 

The pain in her head made Blossompaw dizzy. “That’s enough!” Squirrelflight ordered, standing in between the two apprentices. “Blossompaw, you should have stayed down.” Her eyes were narrow.

 

Blossompaw snarled. “A ShadowClan warrior wouldn’t just sit there,” she grumbled, glaring at Rosepaw, who snorted and rolled her eyes.

 

“Enough,” Squirrelflight snapped. “I’m disappointed in you, Blossompaw. I saw you unsheathed your claws. Come on.” She flicked her tail to Hazeltail. “We should get to camp and ask Firestar about what her punishment should be.”

 

Blossompaw sneered at Rosepaw as she shot her an angry glance, following her mentor into the forest. Hazeltail padded toward Blossompaw and looked at her, disappointed. Then she sighed. “Hey,” she meowed, nudging her. “Don’t worry about it. We can all get upset when training doesn’t go our way..” She ran her tail down Blossompaw’s spine.

 

Blossompaw let some of her anger dissolve. “I didn’t mean to get so upset,” she mumbled, looking at her paws as they caught up with Squirrelflight. She lowered her voice, so Rosepaw couldn’t hear. “It was just so . . . I don’t know. Frustrating I guess.”

 

“I get it. Just don’t let those emotions get the best of you.” Hazeltail also lowered her mew to a whisper. “One time, when we were apprentices, Mousewhisker, Berrynose, and I were training together. Berrynose was being, well, was being Berrynose.” Blossompaw giggled as her mentor sighed, as if exasperated by her brother. “I got so upset with him, he was taunting me and being rude, and even Brambleheart, his mentor, was getting annoyed with him. So I unsheathed my claws and gave him a good scratch on the nose.”

 

Blossompaw gasped. “Was your mentor angry with you?”

 

Hazeltail laughed, her tail whisking. “Yeah, Thornclaw almost made mousemeat out of me.” Her eyes shone. “I did apologize to him, and Berrynose said it was no big deal, but there was still a big scratch on him. He still nags me about it, saying it’s the reason he got his name.”

 

Blossompaw purred. She hoped her, Bumblepaw, and Briarpaw stayed as close as Hazeltail and her brothers. “My head hurts,” she mumbled, pressing against Hazeltail.

 

“I bet it does,” Hazeltail meowed, touching her nose to her apprentice's ear. “You should probably see Flametail and Foxpaw.”

 

“I will,” Blossompaw meowed. As they passed the place Rosepaw left her moss, the apprentice bundled it up. Blossompaw grabbed some of the bracken, and the mentors helped carry some as well. They reached camp. Mousewhisker was sitting outside the camp. He blinked as his sister passed. Blossompaw dropped the bracken beside the elders’ den before making her way to the medicine den.

 

She caught Briarpaw’s eyes as she passed, and blinked at her. She slipped into the medicine den, where she saw Foxpaw standing over a pile of seeds, Flametail beside him. Foxpaw pointed to one of the piles. “These are foxglove seeds,” he meowed, leaning over them.

 

“Very good!” Flametail meowed, his eyes shining. “Not even ShadowClan keeps these in our dens, they’re too dangerous. But it’s good for you know the difference, in case you come across them away from their flowers.”

 

Foxpaw turned to Blossompaw. His green eyes were round and he blinked at her. “We have a visitor.”

 

Flametail got to his paws and nodded to Blossompaw. “What do you need?” he asked, gesturing to one of the nests for her to sit in.

 

Blossompaw sat in the nest heavily, her head still throbbing with pain. “I hit my head,” she meowed. She hoped the medicine cats didn’t ask how. She didn’t need anyone else to know.

 

“How hard did you hit it?” Flametail asked, flicking his tail to Foxpaw who bounded over to the store, scanning the pockets.

 

“Not that hard,” she meowed. “Enough to have a headache.”

 

Flametail nodded. “Do you know what to give her?”

 

“Feverfew,” Foxpaw answered, pulling out the herb. “Should we give her poppy seeds as well?”

 

Flametail hummed. “Sure, we can do that.” Foxpaw padded over with the feverfew and the tiny seeds. Blossompaw sniffed at them. “They should help your headache pretty quick and help you get to sleep. Would you like to sleep in the medicine den tonight?”

 

“No,” Blossompaw meowed, lapping up the medicine. “Thank you.” She dipped her head to the medicine cats and stood, stretching. When she padded out of the den, a cold raindrop hit her nose, making her shiver. Looking up, the sky was gray, blocking the sun entirely. Her fur protected her from the chill as she raced over to the apprentices’  den, but the rain still pierced through her thick pelt.

 

She caught a glance of Rosepaw’s cream pelt. Her fur prickled as she thought of what happened during the training session. Rosepaw looked at her, then turned with a lash of her tail. Huffing, Blossompaw padded into her den and stomped toward her nest. As she lay down, she imagined herself sinking her claws into Rosepaw’s pelt.


End file.
